Keys to Bhutan - Client Testimonials
The best Tour Operator in Bhutan...
Because of Bhutan's unique approach to tourism, we had to find a guiding company to lead us on our trip to Bhutan. There are two ways to approach this, hire a US reseller of Bhutanese services or hire the Bhutanese company directly. While going through a US company may appear to be easier, it is more expensive and more hands off. Booking directly through a Bhutanese company offers many advantages, including a more personal experience as well as a significant cost savings.
After some good old web surfing, with an emphasis on the Thorn Tree forum in the Lonely Planet's web site, we came up with a Bhutanese company called "Keys to Bhutan". This company is owned by two Bhutanese guys, Anan and Gelay. Both of them are awesome people as well as amazing photographers. Not only are they a guiding company, but they have published the first coffee table book on Bhutan by Bhutanese and they are the primary producer of Bhutan's postcards.
By the time we had left Bhutan, we had realized how amazing and unique this tour company is. They are well educated, fluent English speakers that are willing to go to any length to make a trip to Bhutan amazing. When the Lonely Planet says that Buddhist temples are off-limits and most guiding companies tell you that you can't enter them, Keys to Bhutan goes to the trouble of getting the permits and permission necessary to let tourists into the temples. Most of the tourists we met on the trek had walked through villages and past families and Dzongs that we had stayed in, shared meals with and visited monks in.
Gelay was our guide for this trip and he made our visit all it could be, doing everything possible to maximize our experience. It seemed as though every person we met was his friend. Many meals and cups of butter tea were shared because of his endless friendships. As a fellow photographer, Gelay was very in tune with what kind of images we were looking for as well. Many times he paved the way for the once in a lifetime Buddhist monk shot or exposure to Layap school children. As a practicing Buddhist with an amazing knowledge of Bhutanese history and religion, Gelay was uniquely suited to provide us with an incredibly comprehensive understanding of Bhutan.
If anyone is planning a trip to Bhutan, we strongly recommend Keys to Bhutan (www.keystobhutan.com). Two crucial factors to selecting a guide in Bhutan are their direct experience with the trek/region you wish to visit and their willingness to make sure your Bhutan experience is complete.
Brice and Naomi King,
USA
( Laya Lingshi Trek, October 2005 )
> Follow Brice and Naomi's amazing honeymoon world tour at www.constantradius.com
